November 16, 2012

A
dish of steaming hot noodles with scrambled eggs and carrots was pure joy. Particularly
on a weekend. Almost mostly I was in charge of prepping noodles for my
siblings. So many Sunday breakfasts and beautiful moments with my sister
and two brothers chitchatting around the table over many cups of chai, ah.

Those
are some of my most treasured memories. Especially since I lost my kid brother in
an accident a few summers back, and I know we cannot have a foursome again.
Never again.

My
kids are huge on noodles too. Indonesian Indomie, particularly the Rasa Soto
Mie or vegetable flavor, is their absolute favorite. Cooked with a bit of extra
(powdered) chili it’s the best instant noodle soup.

A
bowl of quick stir-fry noodles is always a welcome pleasure. I like mine
filled with vegetable goodness. Greens, reds, oranges, yellows and purples.A plate filled with richly pigmented
plant food that fights for your life, tastes deliciously hot, and comes together
in less than 20 minutes. Absolutely gorgeous.

With
age, I’m keen on maximizing our intake of hero food—food that helps slow down
the affects of free radicals in our body. Boosting your intake of antioxidant
rich food is as easy as filling your diet with colors. Colorful plant food, that
is.

A
stir-fry has all the ideal qualities of a weekday meal—it’s easy, quick,
nutritious and delicious. And what better way to eat your colors than a quick
stir-fry. All you need is to cut your choice of veggies, throw it into a
skillet with a touch of oil and aromatic spices like ginger and garlic, stir-fry
for few minutes (less than 5), and finally stir in some sauces for flavor.Add some noodles, and you have a
complete meal.

In
this recipe I’ve used vegetables like baby carrots, broccoli, baby corn, snow
peas, and bell pepper. Not to forget chili to fire up things and boost
metabolism in the process. Chilies come in different variety, color, and size.
The level of heat varies per variety. I cooked with these small, colorful chili
pepper called ‘naadan mulaku’. I found them at the local farmers’ market in my
hometown (see more photos) and brought some with me to Qatar. They are
super hot and fiery. You can substitute birds eye chili, or even green chili.
Adjust quantity accordingly.

Vegetables are seared in high heat so they keep their crunch and bright color. You want them crisp tender, and not overcooked and soggy. For noodles, use thin or medium egg
noodles.

The
key to stir-frying is to quickly cook over high heat. Keep the food moving
to avoid burning or scorching, and ensure even cooking. Some vegetables like
carrot, cauliflower, potoato require longer cooking time. Cut them into smaller
pieces or thin strips—the smaller they are, the faster they cook.

This recipe is endlessly adaptable. Substitute any combination of veggies you have
on hand, or at the market. Some suggestions
are zucchini and mushrooms. Also, choose vegetables for color as well as texture
and taste.

And
before we get to the recipe, I hope you had a most wonderful Diwali. We don’t
celebrate Diwali, but I did take this opportunity to photograph some Diwali
sweets. Colorful burfi (fudge) in delicious mango, pistachio, rose and fruit
flavors. Pretty, isn't it?

Bring
a pot of salted water to boil and cook noodles for 3-4 until al dente (following
pack directions). Rinse under cold water. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile,
combine the sauce ingredients in a jug, and whisk to blend.

Heat
the wok or skillet until very hot. Add the sesame seeds and stir-fry over high
heat until golden. Remove and set aside.

Reheat
the wok and add the oil. Swirl to
coat. Stir-fry onions over high heat for 2-3 minutes, or until slightly tender.
Tip in ginger, garlic and chili, and stir-fry for 10 seconds.

Add
all the vegetables and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Then add a splash of stock to
the wok and cover to create some steam. Cook for a minute, or until vegetables
are just heated through and still crunchy.

Increase
the heat to high, and stir in half the sauce. Tip in noodles with the remaining
sauces, and spring onions, and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper,
and stir around until everything is blended and the noodles are heated through.

Transfer
to bowls and top with sesame seeds. Serve immediately with hot sauce and lime
wedges on the side.

The weather has been so absolutely gorgeous, it’s impossible not to fall in love. And this week has been enchanting strolls down the corniche with sundrenched beauty and slants of sunlight, blue skies and billowy clouds, torqouise waters and sounds of crashing waves. Not to mention sun kissed skin and wind tousled hair. So much beauty, I’m inspired to go for a walk now to soak in a bit more of this stunning weather.

See what’s happening
behind the screen, and follow along if you like."The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."—Eleanor Roosevelt. Hope
you have a most wonderful weekend xPS: For a vegan version of the noodle stirfry, use rice noodles instead of egg noodles. Also make sure to use vegan substitutions of oyster and worcestershire sauces (click on links for vegan sauce recipes).

Really sorry about your loss. My heart felt condolences go to you with hugs!!Nashi pictures are so colorful and well done :) Love the light in your pictures as well as the props....I love noodles anytime...yours look very tempting

Sorry to hear about your loss...Heartfelt condolences...I was living on maggi noodles for a long time...now got bored with it..:) Your noodle recipe sounds too yum and awesome clicks...Loved the colorful props and the way the colors are playing around...Great work dear...

I grew up with maggi curry flavoured noodles (must be Malaysian brand as that's the best!) and my uncle is the pro at making it with a poached egg. Now whenever I feel like going down memory lane, instead of all the luxury food i always go for this 2 min quick fix! Your noodles look so healthy. Sorr to hear about your brother , nashi, must be painful for u:(

Beautiful pictures! I just served udon soup tonight. It is perfect for this rainy weather. My son is ill with the flu, so I know he appreciated the warm and comforting soup.I will definitely try your recipe. It looks amazing.

So sorry to hear about your brother. I also am from a family of four siblings. I will pray that especially during this Holiday season that your family heals from this terrible loss.

I feel happy whenever I visit your place the bright pics are enough to pep up my mood. That last pic of stir fry noodle is too good. love that cute yellow bowl. what it it actually? Am so sorry to hear about your loss....

Hi! thanks for writing in -- you are absolutely right, this recipe is not vegan as is. And honestly, I did not mention anywhere in the recipe that it's vegan. That said it can be easily made vegan by substituting rice noodles for egg noodles and using vegan versions of oyster and worcestershire sauce. After seeing your note, and finding it featured on 20 vegan meal list, I've included a note towards the end stating the same. But thanks again for bringing this to my notice!

I made the dish, and it was a partial success. It was a bit too spicy, but I think if I put too many chilies in. Lol... I think if I put less chilies in next time it will be better. Thank-you so much for sharing your recipe with all of us, and I agree with the others your photographs are breathtakingly beautiful. At first they made me want to eat the page, and then they filled me with inspiration!

Okay, now I've made corrections to the errors I made in my first comment. Sorry, this sounds so much better without the mistakes.

I made the dish, and it was a partial success. It was a bit too spicy. I think I put too many chilies in. Lol... I think if I put less chilies in next time it will be better. Thank-you so much for sharing your recipe and your personal story with all of us, and I agree with the others, your photographs are breathtakingly beautiful. At first they made me want to eat the page, and then they filled me with inspiration!

A million thank you's for stopping by, taking the time to connect, and coming back to visit again. I genuinely appreciate each of your kind thoughts, lovely words, love and support. Happy, happy to hear from you, and hope to see you again!

About

Hey there. Welcome to my site! I'm Nashi, the author, cook and lensman behind Plateful. This is my personal platform for random memoirs, tidbits, tasty visuals— particularly adventures in the kitchen—and, so much more. Most everything you see here is my work. Hope you enjoy it and find something inspirational.